All posts tagged ‘Nintendo’

Over the years, Nintendo has traditionally produced my minions favorite gaming platforms. The very first one we owned was a GameBoy Advance. As of this moment, we still own that Gameboy Advance plus the DS, DS Lite, DSXL, DSi, 3Ds, and a GameCube, Wii and Wii U.

I wasn’t planning to yet upgrade to the Wii U as that console seemed to be their least favorite, though it was my favorite due to Wii Sports and Wii Fitness. But the Wii U arrived as a review unit and the three youngest minions–17, 13, and 13–were eager to unwrap it.

Did I need a Wii U? Here are the advantages of the new system over the old:

Play can be swapped to the GamePad. Meaning that one person can play on the tablet while the other person can use the television for something else. This is also true of streaming videos. If your children are still restricted to one television for the family, this is an incredibly helpful feature as one kid can play games and another can use the television at the same time.

When streaming Netflix on the Wii U, the episode descriptions show up on the tablet. When streaming on the Wii, we could only see episode numbers.

The GamePad can also be used as a television remote

The addition of the Wii U means another console in the house that can stream video, meaning we can move one system upstairs to stream on the television that belongs to only my husband and myself.

Nintendo has always had backwards compatibility for their systems, meaning games from the previous system can be used on the new system. That means all the Wii games will work on the Wii U. This is good because the games designed specifically for the Wii U have been rolling out slowly.

Nintendo Land comes with many Wii U systems and features twelve mini-games based on some of the company’s most popular games or brands, including Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Mario. The samples are fun to play but are basically a way for players to become acquainted with the new system. Of the mini-games, Animal Crossing: Sweet Day, in which players try to collect candy as a team, quickly became my youngest daughter ‘s favorite, has been playing Animal Crossing games for years.

My oldest son quickly dubbed Lego City Undercover as a “Lego version of Grand Theft Auto,” meaning that a player can do things like steal cars in the game but it’s okay because the character is an undercover police officer trying to stop bad guys and, of course, there isn’t the excessive gore and violence.

Like most Lego video games, it’s imaginative but appropriate for most kids.

A screencap from Lego City Undercover. Photo courtesy Nintendo.

My youngest son reported he crashed the car our intrepid officer drives to the precinct three times before he was able to arrive safely.

We also received a download code for the new Pokemon game, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity for the 3DS. The difference between this game and all the other Pokemon games is that users can play as a Pokemon, instead of simply training them.

Players can choose to be one of five Pokemon: Pikachu, Tepig, Oshawott, Axew, and Snivy. The 3DS technology is used to find round objects and that are then turned into portals to the various dungeons. The longer the 3DS is out, the more the games start to use this technology and this game has a more three-dimensional art style and the backgrounds definitely take advantage by modeling it all in 3D.

My minions haven’t unlocked and explored everything yet on the new game but pronounced it “really cool” to be a Pokemon rather than training up them for battle. My youngest daughter said the choice of what Pokemon to be is critical, as the skills required differ from task to task. Check the video above for a more in-depth examination of the new game. A demonstration preview can also be downloaded at Nintendo’s official site.

My conclusion on the Wii U:

If you haven’t bought the Wii, the Wii U is definitely fun to play and worth the price. If you have the Wii already, the upgraded console offers a number of new features and sharper graphics and the GamePad is a neat new feature. It all depends on your need for the new games and how much money you may be willing to spend.

I know if I didn’t have a Wii U, there would be a persistent demand for it right around the time a really cool new game is released. Especially if it’s a Pokemon game.

Wii U games include New Super Mario Bros. U, Monster Hunter 3, released on March 19, and you can find a list of all the available games at Nintendo’s Wii U site.

27 years ago today Legend of Zelda was first released in Japan, a game which really needs no introduction.

Legend of Zeldawasn’t released in the US until August 22, 1987. That Christmas, my sister and I got a Nintendo and we spend hours playing it. While the rest of my family liked playing Super Mario Bros. better, I couldn’t get enough of Legend of Zelda. I loved the story as, and even though the graphics weren’t great, my imagination transported me to the middle of the story. It was the first adventure/role-playing game I ever played, an introduction to my favorite type of video game.

Even though I could only get about halfway through the game, I would play it for hours on end when I was a kid. I finally did finish it a few years ago, though (with the help of the internet). My husband likes to tease me that it took me 20 years to beat Legend of Zelda. Legend of Zelda was one of the first classic games I purchased on my Wii and I still play it sometimes. While I have enjoyed the other Zelda games that have been released since, the first one holds a special place in my heart!

Nintendo and Dark Horse Comics have teamed up for a fantastic omnibus covering the chronology and creation of one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. The volume is chock full of Zelda artwork and insights, including a comprehensive timeline of all Zelda games ever released, never-before-seen concept art, and even a new manga prequel to Skyward Sword. In short, if you’re a Legend of Zelda fan, you need to have the Hyrule Historia on your bookshelf.

The art is easily the most stunning part of the book, with an abundance of sketches of your favorite heroes and villains, as well as a close look at some of the games’ minor characters and stunning location concept art.

My favorite pages are the collections of every incarnation of Link, Zelda, and Ganon as their appearances have changed through the years. Hyrule Historia takes a look at every Zelda game made, with a concentration on the most recent, Skyward Sword, but also includes artwork and story details from the lesser-known games like Four Swords Adventures and Oracle of Seasons. I’m even thinking of picking up Spirit Tracks, which I didn’t know existed until I made my way through the chronology of The Legend of Zelda.

The game chronology is fascinating, describing two different timelines of Link’s overall story to cover every The Legend of Zelda game under one big umbrella. Story-wise the timeline splits into two after the events of Ocarina of Time, featuring games that take place in worlds in which Link either defeated Ganondorf or was defeated by him.

The chronology serves as a refresher for every Zelda game you’ve played, with the nice side effect of describing the finer points in the story of each game that you might have forgotten after being stuck in the Water Temple for days on end.

Hyrule Historia belongs on every game geek’s coffee table, not just for a healthy dose of nostalgia now and then, but for the gorgeous art. Hyrule Historia is in bookstores today with a cover price of $34.99.

Like so many of you, the thought of a world without Nintendo Power saddened me greatly. I’ve grown up with NP. I’ve kept an active subscription since the ’80s. I never even updated the mailing address–every volume has been delivered straight to my parents’ house, and as an adult it’s been a critical connection point back to my childhood every time I’ve come to visit. The thought of that absence made me feel like a piece of my boyhood was dying.

What’s worse, NP ended before I could share it with my own son–something I’ve looked forward to since becoming a father. That thought was the last straw. And so, after spending a single night sulking, I sprang into action.

The mention of sharing the magic of Nintendo with the next generation definitely made me smile, and even sniff a little bit. We at GeekMom wish them the best of luck in their new endeavor! Watching fans band together to do amazing things, yeah, that’s part of what makes the internet so darn amazing.

After 285 issues and 24 years, the last issue of longtime gaming magazine Nintendo Power hit newsstands last week. After years of providing previews, tips, tricks, and insights into Nintendo’s hottest games and hidden gems, the magazine’s final issue is mostly spent looking back on their favorite features from years past. I haven’t picked up an issue of Nintendo Power since I was a kid, but reading about all the features I’ve since missed makes me wish I never stopped. One of the best articles of the final issue, the top 285 Nintendo games as selected by the editorial staff, is a trip down memory lane for many of us who first got into gaming with the NES and Super NES.

Long before Google could find a map of the level you’re stuck on in mere seconds, kids everywhere waited at the window for the mailman to come with the latest Nintendo Power to show you how to get through it. I remember needing as many tips and maps as I could get for the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game; Nintendo Power came to my rescue, even though I never beat it. (In my defense, TMNT might be the hardest game ever.)

If you need more than nostalgia to make you buy the issue, the final Nintendo Power explores a number of launch titles for the Wii U — perfect for anyone who might be shopping for a last-minute gift for a gamer.

When you think of paradise, do you first think of midtown Manhattan? Yeah, me neither. And yet! Nintendo drove a pink recreational vehicle down 48th Street, parked it outside the Nintendo store in Rockefeller Center, and invited bloggers into the heaven that awaited inside. My new understanding of paradise is getting a pedicure and massage while playing Nintendo’s latest releases for the Nintendo 3DS.

Having spent the better part of my youth in arcades, I’ve had my share of encounters with the likes of Donkey Kong. These days, you can curse that monkey and his nemesis Mario in the privacy of your own home.

For that, we can thank Shigeru Miyamoto.

Miyamoto is the mastermind behind Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and countless other Nintendo franchises. He’s also today’s birthday boy, so please raise a cupcake or a quarter or something for his 60th.

The game designer and producer was born on this day in 1952 in the Japanese town of Sonobe, Kyoto, which is said to be the inspiration for some of his work. Originally, he had hoped to become a manga artist. However, those plans were thwarted after a few rounds of 1978′s Space Invaders.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of plans squashed by that game. However, he turned that diversion into an empire. Miyamoto joined Nintendo in 1977. At the age of 27, he worked on Nintendo’s first coin-operated arcade video game, Sheriff. However, it was a little love triangle between a girl, a mustached carpenter and a monkey that changed Miyamoto’s life — and the lives of pretty much every gamer.

In 1981, Nintendo released Miyamoto’s Donkey Kong.

Miyamoto went on to work on Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3, as well as countless Mario-based titles, The Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and more. The Super Mario series alone has sold over 210 million video games worldwide.

Miyamoto has also had share of accolades. In 1998, he was the first inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. In 2006, he became one of the first video game creators knighted into France’s Order of Arts and Letters. A year later, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Game Developers Association and named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine — who also once called him “The Spielberg of Video Games.”

Today, he’s working on titles for the Nintendo 3DS and the highly anticipated Wii U, which is coming in just two days. Once a gamer, always a gamer!

So please join all of us at GeekMom in saying: Happy birthday, Mr. Miyamoto! Thanks for being such a big part of our childhood and well… adulthood. Here’s to many more years and Marios to come.

I was really excited to get this game downloaded to my son’s Nintendo 3DS. I’ve been a fan of Mario since my parents bought our family the first Nintendo system when I was 6 years old (did I just age myself?) and we played the original Mario Bros. Thankfully the games have come a long way since I was a kid and I’m happy to say this game keeps in with the spirit of the characters and the storyline.

The storyline is much the same as the previous games. Princess Peach is the damsel in distress and it’s up to Mario, Luigi and their friends to save her. The game itself has over 80 levels across water, land, air and snow to fight through before the final battle for the princess. Some of the bosses are from previous games and others are new to this version. The same goes for the powers and abilities that Mario and Luigi can obtain. My favorite part is being able to store extra powers while in the level. For instance, if you have fire power and you come across another one, the game will bank it for you to use later.

The refreshed look of Mario and his companions is not a big enough change for you to do any double takes and it doesn’t take any time at all to get used to. A few of the powers have changed as well but it’s a good change. My husband thinks this game might be a little easier than the previous games, but I rather enjoyed it that way. I’m not a hard core gamer so when levels are too hard, I just give up and let it collect dust on my shelf.

Image: Nintendo

Cheat alert – If you fail the level enough times, when you start the level again, the game will give you an advantage that will allow you to finish the level unharmed.

One of the neat features I heard about (but was unable to try out myself) is the ability for two players to play at once on their own devices. As long as both devices have the game loaded, they can share the screen and play at the same time. Maybe I’ll get my husband his own device for Christmas so he and our son can play together instead of fighting over it all the time.

For the Mario fan this game is a must have and for anyone who has not play any of the previous games , this is a great place to start.

New Mario Bros. 2 is available for the Nintendo 3Ds and is rated E for Everyone (with a side of comic mischief)

Joe wasn’t at first wanting to talk about his career as a video game designer.

He was at the Games in Education Symposium to show education professionals the newest games his employer, 1st Playable, had come out with. But long after he demonstrated all the games at the computer, encouraging me to try them out while he discussed the purpose behind each one, I kept him talking.

What games did he play? Why did he play them? Did this affect his work? Why did he want to be a video game designer? Where did he go to school? Was it really necessary to have a degree to get a job in the industry? Did he like 1st Playable? What was his job really like? What was it about video games that made him so darn happy?

I had no where to go until lunch, and there weren’t any other people he needed to help. So eventually we moved away from the computers, leaned against a wall and we had a fantastic conversation. Basically, the way Joe described his job was a utopia, although he laughed when I used that word. “I guess you’re right. We have all different people: scientists, writers, computer techs, artists, musicians, everyone coming together to make something fun and to help kids learn. What could be better than that?”

Shooting stars at origami ninjas in the new Nintendo Land game for Wii U. Photo credit: Andrea Schwalm.

As a new parent a decade-and-a-half ago I decided that I was going to raise my children in a commercial-television-free/video-game-free household. At the time, the American Pediatric Association was suggesting that children under 2 watch no television/have no screen time at all and that children over 2 receive no more than 1-2 hours of quality programming/screen time per day. I was going to do the American Pediatric Association one better, however: I aimed for no commercial television for anyone in the house at all (and only very-occasional use of the VCR for my son). When the time came to discuss video games, the conversation would be simple: my children would ask and I would earnestly explain, “You may play video games when you’re an adult.”

We made it through 4 years (and one month-long hospital visit with kiddo #2) of parenthood before we did a complete about-face and caved on the no-television. Three years after that we were buying our first gaming console–a Playstation 2. This was followed almost immediately by a stream of Gameboys, Nintendo DSs, and iPod Touches provided by a loving, collaborative team of aunts, uncles, and Santa Clauses. In 2007 we purchased a Wii and just last month we bought an Xbox 360 to celebrate kiddo #2′s accolade-laden report card. All in all, quite a fall from screen-free grace.

Last week I attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). If you are not familiar with E3, it is a large video game trade fair exclusive to those in the industry. Despite being closed to the general public, E3 manages to be one of the largest video game expos. I was only able to attend one of the show’s three days, so I had to be selective about what I could see. I wanted to spend a lot of time at the Nintendo booth to check out their new console, the Wii U. The Wii U consists of a new console and a GamePad, the new controller sporting an independent screen. All the Wii U promotional videos talk about the Wii U GamePad being revolutionary to gameplay. In fact, Nintendo introduced a new term for it, “asymmetric gameplay.” The hypothesis is that the GamePad will give the gamer an opportunity to face somewhere else than direct at the TV, a first in the console gaming world. Continue Reading “Hands On the New Nintendo Wii U at E3″ »

Less expensive than most new games, Cabela's Adventure Camp is currently available at most video game retailers. Image courtesy of Amazon.com

Looking for a last minute holiday gift idea for gamers of all ages? Check out Cabela’s Adventure Camp!

All three of my boys, ages 6, 9 and 30-something, had a great time playing the high-adventure games — especially with added perks such as the “griefing” and competing in the Cabela’s Cup tournament.

Hogwhacked: This game is a cross between "Whack a Mole" and "Simon". Photo: Patricia Vollmer

This game included eight sports — most of which aren’t found in other video games. From kayaking to Wave Runners to mountain biking, there’s plenty of adventure to be had.

Two of the games were particularly fun for my sons: Hogwhacked and Bear, Hunter, Ninja.

Hogwhacked is basically a Wii version of “Whack a Mole” crossed with “Simon.” The moles will pop up and down in a pattern and the player has to reproduce the pattern. It gets pretty complicated and none of us have been able to get beyond Level 9. Make sure you aim your rubber mallet very carefully — one misfire and you lose one of your three hammer-lives!

Bear, Hunter, Ninja is a variation on Rock, Paper, Scissors. In this case, it’s played to determine who chooses the order of the other adventure camp games. My sons thought it was funny to play, but the Wii controllers didn’t respond very well to the motions required to do the Bear, Hunter or Ninja…and we all proclaimed that it would have been easier to just play this in person. It took several play sessions to crack the code on this one: you aim your Wii remote how you want to play first, THEN hit “B” to enter your move.

Note: I’m not sure if this way of playing Bear, Hunter, Ninja was by design or just our family’s way to make this game work for us. If it’s the former, then it seems really silly to perform your move in front of everyone else before hitting the button. But that’s just me.

Bear, Hunter, Ninja. It seems really cute, but the bigger challenge seemed to be getting our Wii controller to do what we asked it to. The player who shows "None" was trying to do something, but the Wii didn't respond. Photo: Patricia Vollmer

As for the other games, everyone in my family was able to figure out the controls and participate. During the kayaking, mountain biking and wave riding, we had a great time “griefing”. This is where the player who’s waiting can toss obstacles in the path of the active player. Trees fall in way during the biking, trees and rocks in the kayaking and whirlpools in the wave riding.

The biking, skeet shooting and archery seemed straightforward, it definitely took some practice to get a hang of the kayaking, wave running and sport fishing.

Who am I kidding, we’d all have been dead if we were driving those Wave Runners in real life!

One of the things that we enjoy about Cabela’s Adventure Camp is that you can turn on this game, play a “Cabela’s Cup” tournament with up to four players, and when you’re done, you’re done. In other words, unlike other competitive games — such as Mario Kart — where you have the option to build up points towards unlocking more capabilities, Adventure Camp is more of a terminal experience. In about an hour, you can have a complete tournament.

Skeet shooting on Cabela's Adventure Camp. This is one of the better-to-play activities. We enjoyed getting to shoot green balloons for extra-large sights, and red balloons for extra-small sights. Photo: Patricia Vollmer

Some might not be too fond of that and will consider it a drawback rather than a quality to this game, but with my young sons, this is nice to have. We have several unfinished video games here that my sons lost interest in before completely finishing.

Overall, we had a good time playing this game, but we noticed that the courses are the same in the biking, kayaking, wave riding and skeet shooting. It would be really easy to learn the routes and locations of the coins.

Over the past year, GeekMom has reviewed a number of Nintendo products and games for their various consoles. With the holidays arriving fast, we’ve compiled those reviews for your convenience and added information about a few items and information about some special holiday bundles.

Happy holiday shopping!

The Nintendo 3DS Handheld:

Nintendog captured on our carpet with the 3DS

The big new thing from Nintendo this year was the Nintendo 3Ds, which I reviewed in a post that talked of all the various consoles earlier this year. Originally priced at $249.99, it’s now down to $169.99. There are three special holiday bundles:

*A Flame Red 3DS bundled with the new Super Mario 3D Land game for $199.99.

*A pink 3DS with either the Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog and New Friends or Nintendogs + cats: Toy Poodle and New Friends for $169.99.

*A Special Edition 3DS with the Hyrule emblem and gold-colored embellishments bundled with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D game for $199.99.

We didn’t review the game this year but I have to mention it because two of the game levels were designed by our own GeekMom Amy. In this game, you get to go on a field trip down into the ocean with Ms. Frizzle and her class. There are six different games to play that vary as you go deeper into the ocean. Survive as different animals in the food chain, eating prey while avoiding predators. Race through the ocean as a dolphin, octopus or even a viperfish swimming in the dark. Try to identify different animals using your flashlight in the darkest ocean depths. You can also use scientific tools to explore the different parts of the ocean.

A cute and fun puzzle game for girls and boys just starting to read and play video games. By completing puzzles in several different map areas, the player can collect over one hundred eggs and creatures for their zoo. The animals can be leveled up by completing little educational tasks, and much more!

A great platformer game for players who are just starting out. The player runs through different exciting levels of a mall inviting Squinkies to a party while collecting all of the Squinkies from the original series. Instructions are auditory and rewards are given simply for completing a level. This is a must-have for any Squinkies fan.

For the Wii:

A holiday game bundle:

*The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a gold-colored Wii Remote Plus controller and a CD with music from the series for $69.99.

Nintendo’s also just released Fortune Street which I haven’t had a chance to review yet but it sounds intriguing with its combination of characters from the Mario and Dragon Quest universes in a board game somewhat like Monopoly. The game requires players to buy properties, makes investments and other financial deals.

The latest Pokemon game, Pokemon Rumble Blast 3DS, is the first specially designed to take advantage of the more intense graphic and layered views of the Nintendo 3DS.

Two of my kids spend a couple of weeks playing Rumble Blast and pronounced it different from the other games but just as much fun. My younger daughter’s only problem was that she had trouble going up levels. It became a lot harder as she progressed further in the game and eventually, she said it was “nearly impossible” to beat the last one. But she had a lot of fun-trying. (She’s also an impatient player, so I would guess a more patient and experienced one would level up faster.)

Pokemon games tend to be duel-focused and Rumble Blast is no exception but the duels are set up differently. This game’s object is to have a toy Pokemon win all the duels, thus acquiring more toy Pokemon, and making the player (hopefully) powerful enough to defeat the big bad Pokemon waiting for the player at the end of the level.

These big bads–called giant Boss Pokémons in the game, are unique to Rumble Blast. Another new feature is the Battle Royale, in which the toy Pokemon battle each other to be the last one standing.

My kids favorite part was the vast number and variety of the toy Pokemon. There are approximately 600 of them. This includes Pokémon from the Pokémon Black Version and White Version games. It’s also possible to use the wireless connection feature to team up, battle and collect Toy Pokémon together, or use the 3DS system’s StreetPass feature to challenge other players’ toy Pokémon collections.

Throughout the game, both view screens stay in use, allowing for the 3D technology to shine.

If you’re into Pokemon games, I’d recommend this one, as it’s reasonably priced at $34.99. Some of the other 3DS games are $40 and up.

And now, with the release of Tetris Axis for Nintendo’s 3DS, it’s addictive in three dimensions.

screencap from Tetris Axis for the Nintendo 3DS

My teenage son (16) has been playing versions of Tetris for years so I handed this review off to him.

His thoughts:

1. Wireless

The game has a wireless setting so you can compete against people around the world to see who lasts longer.

2. Many Choices

There are at least 20 different variations on tetris, more than I thought possible. They’re very creative. There’s one where you have to stack the blocks on a tower to help a guy get to the top. And it has the original Tetris game as well.

3. Adjustable settings

The rules can be adjusted fairly easily, to make the game extra easy or extra hard.

4. 3D!

The visuals are stunningly colorful, even in 2D. They’ve also made it easier to see in 3D so you don’t have to keep moving the screen.

5. Still addicting!

One can play this inventive variation on tetris for hours on end. It keeps track of high scores and you can compete against other players. This game is something that a mom could give a 7 year old in good conscience and also something you can easily pick up if you’re waiting in a doctor’s office or something.

Its also about as manly as Angry Birds, so high schoolers wouldn’t be upset to be seen with it. Provided they like Tetris.

Nintendo’s popular Kirby series adds a new title this week, Kirby: Mass Attack for the DS platforms.

Screencap from Kirby: Mass Attack for the Nintendo DS

I received a review copy last week and did what I usually do, which is hand it off to the kids for a tryout.

This is a game of levels, as Kirby is initially split into ten little Kirbys by a bad guy at the start. To level up, players have to gradually gather up all the Kirbys for a massed attack. (Hence the name.)

What’s fun about this game is the clever use of the touchscreen and stylus. A Kirby can be launched into the air with the stylus or a swarm of Kirbys can run to a specific spot by tapping the touchscreen multiple times. Players can also collect medals by playing mini-games.

Is it fun for kids? I think so but it all depends on the kids.

My daughter who has attention and frustration issues grew angry with the game after about fifteen minutes because she hadn’t made much progress in gaining more Kirbys but my son got sucked in and played for over an hour. And, obviously, it helps to love Kirby.

The game is rated E for everyone but I’d caution those with younger children to try the game out first and make sure it’s not too challenging for them. Older kids should have no problem.

Sure, you like the sound effects and music that accompanies your game playing. But you don’t exactly pop that soundtrack in the CD player when you’re out running errands, do you? In a roundabout way, you may find yourself doing just that if the music of Anamanaguchi appeals to you. The band combines 8-bit sound from old Nintendos and Gameboys with guitar and drums to create music that falls into the “chiptune” category. Recently featured on NPR, the band “makes loud, fast music with a hacked NES from 1985.” Upcoming shows will take them to Brooklyn, Tokyo, and up and down the west coast.

Star Fox 64 3DS is a 3D update of the classic Star Fox game for the Nintendo 64 system, the predecessor to the GameCube, which eventually gave way to the Wii. Meaning when Nintendo calls it a classic, it means it’s a really old game that’s been dusted off and updated.

In this case, very nicely.

My youngest son, who has a thing for classic video games (if we could find a working Nintendo 64, he’d be thrilled), requested that I ask for a review copy of this one from Nintendo. He got lucky, as it arrived last week, even thought it’s not due out until September 9th. (Aside: I think my kids may be getting spoiled by access to Nintendo review copies. But it’s probably worth the cool Mom points.)

What did Nintendo do to update the game? Not that much. It’s still, as my son said, a game with a bunch of anthropomorphic animals in spaceships shooting at enemies. Fox McCloud, son of James McCloud, is the leader of the Star Fox team who must battle spaceships commanded by the nemesis who ordered James McCloud’s death.

“The story is an excuse to go shooting,” my son said. “It’s addictive because you just keep shooting and pressing buttons so even if you’re not very good, you can still have fun.”

Nintendo did update the graphics nicely and the 3D adds an extra layer of depth to the game. The new game also makes use of the dual screen capability of the 3DS. The top screen shows the aerial combat, the bottom screen displays characters and dialogue. My older son tried the game and pronounced it “really fun” as well. This would probably be an excellent addition for those with younger kids or children who get easily frustrated by a more complicated game with a complex story.

If you don’t have the 3DS yet but still want to play new games, Nintendo has lowered the prices on four popular games for the Wii and packaged them as part of their Nintendo Selects series. The games pictured below are all $19.99. I favor Punch-Out but then I like the boxing games where you can hit something. Other games in the Nintendo Selects series are The Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Mario: Super Sluggers and Wii Sports.

Monster Tale for the Nintendo DS is a platformer starring a girl and her monster. I’m not the best at games that require jumping and aiming, but I found that Monster Tale is still an entertaining experience.

Customize your pet: Your pet has elements to choose from that remind me of Pokémon. When you choose an element of study for your pet, it gains strengths and weaknesses against other elements. It adds a new level of complexity to the game, but also offers a frustration when you don’t know what bosses are ahead (and in what order).

Do you like Mario?: The game set up reminds me a little of Mario Bros. in that there is a map that you walk through by completing minion fights and jumping over chasms (and on top of some enemies).

Ellie’s got skillz: To get to new areas of the map you need to collect different skills for the girl, Ellie.

Who’s the boss: I am stuck about 33% through the game on a boss fight. I know I need to go back and level up one of Chomp’s other forms… Experienced videogame players would probably breeze through this fight.

If you like platformers and being able to customize certain aspects of your game play, Monster Tale is worth a try. I feel that serious gamers would be bored by the difficulty of the game but would still find it interesting to play because of the different adjustable elements. If you are curious about more of the story line, check out the incomplete gamefaq. Also, the game is available on Amazon for about $20.

If you or your geeklings harbor dreams of working as a video-game developer, here’s the inside scoop from three producers of The Malgrave Incident, the latest Mystery Case Files game and the series’ first title for the Wii.

Nintendo’s Azusa Tajima and Masa Miyazaki, along with producer Shawn Seavers and the team from Big Fish Games fielded GeekMom’s questions about what it takes to make it in their line of work and what skills aspiring designers and producers should bring to the table.

GeekMom: What kinds of college programs/majors are best for people interested in working in video-game development?

Big Fish Games: In general, choose a particular skill that interests you the most, but be sure to gain as much exposure to the other areas of game development as you can. For example, if you’re studying programming, make sure to take classes in art and design. Try to be well-rounded because everything is connected.

Nintendo: It is hard to say which college programs/majors are best because it takes a variety of people in different professions and skills to develop a video game, but if you like programming and you’re interested in developing a video game, we would recommend trying your best to become an excellent programmer first. On the other hand, we feel that it is also important to expose yourself to various different activities and experiences in your everyday life. Not many people know this, but there is an accredited 4-year college devoted to educating people in video-game development. Students can earn Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees, and there is also a Master’s program in computer science. Kids who are seriously interested in making a career in the video game industry should check out DigiPen Institute of Technology, based a short distance from Nintendo of America’s headquarters in Redmond, WA.

GM: What type of internship or summer job experience would help, given that video-game company internships might be geographically impossible for a lot of kids?

Big Fish Games: This is a tough one due to geographical limitations. If there are simply no game companies nearby, you could consider web development work. This combines planning and technical skills with art and design sensibilities. You could also create several smaller games or concept proofs to show that you have the creativity and the drive to create fun experiences. Creating games in Flash is another way to demonstrate creativity and technical prowess.

GM: Beyond an interest in gaming, what skills/aptitudes make a great video-game developer?

Big Fish Games: The best games are often the simplest ideas. Having an ability to identify the source of something that is “fun” is very important.

Nintendo: We would say that the ability of seeing things from different angles/perspectives is key to a great video-game developer and innovation.

GM: Can you describe the different jobs available at a company like Big Fish? What is the corporate culture like?

Big Fish Games: One look at the careers page on our website and you’ll see that we’re a diverse, customer-orientated company with a lot of different needs. There’s a need for business, production, engineering, accounting, and customer support just to name a few! The culture here is great. There are so many talented people here who value collaboration and open, honest communication. We’ve got a beautiful office located on the shores of Elliott Bay in Seattle. We’ve got teams for soccer, bowling, volleyball, softball… It’s not uncommon to see people playing board games at lunch—or someone zipping by on kick scooter! There’s definitely a culture of fun, and I think it shows in everything we do.